Too Afriad

Chapter 12: The Black Collar

Third POV
Skye didn't want to look back but everyone would be suspicious. She could hear Zuma trying to maintain his growls low and she can see the anger in Rocky's face. Skye faced forward and looked back. Behind her and Chase, she saw the last thing or pup she wanted to see. Her enemy, nightmare, ex, all in one. It was Smoky. He stood there grinning and ignored the bad looks he was getting.

"Skye," he smiled. "How a been?" Skye didn't answer. She just sat there, staring at him.

"Am I missing something?" Rex asked.

"Yeah, soy muy confundido, really confused," Tracker said looking at Zuma, Rocky, Skye, Smoky, Ella, Everest, Chase, and Bella back and forth.

"Well, you don't know me?" Smoky asked Skye. "I-It's Smoky," Smoky said letting out a nervous laugh.

"Smoky!?" Chase said getting up and faced him.

"Ah, so you're Chase," Smoky said looking at Chase disgusted.

"How do you know my-?"

"It doesn't matter," Smoky said putting his paw on Chase's mouth.

"I swear, it's like we're not even here," Rex whisper-shouted to Tuck. Tuck responded with a slow nod.

"Am I gonna get a welcome or not?" Smoky asked looking around at all the pups.

"Hi," Everest said getting up. "This is Rex, Tuck, Ella, Tracker, Bella, I'm Everest, you know Skye, somehow know Chase, Marshall, Zuma, Rocky, and Rubble," Everest greeted as she pointed to each pup saying their names.

"Hello everyone," Smoky smiled.

"Pups!" Ryder called from the top of the Lookout. "Are you gonna come up and eat?"

"We're coming!" Rubble said getting up and running for the Lookout. The rest stared at one another not sure what to do.

"I'll go too!" Marshall hollered. One by one, the pups all left and ran after Rubble. The only ones left outside were Everest, Skye, and Smoky.

Skye's POV
I really don't want to start problems so I guess I'm gonna go too. I got up and was about to run off when Smkoy grabbed my arm. He pulled me to make him face him but I let my head hang down.

"Where'd you think you're going?" He asked aggressively. I didn't respond or even look at him. "Look at me!" I slowly picked my head up to look at him. His eyes were like daggers and he wasn't happy. I don't even know what about. He's the one that mistreated me. What did I do? Everest just sat behind Smoky but didn't say or do anything. Is she okay?

"Let her go," I heard a familiar voice say from behind. It sounded demanding and like he wouldn't go without a fight. I thought he went to go eat with the others.

"Oh yeah?" Smoky asked. "What if I don't?" He challenged.

"Didn't you hear me?" Chase said stepping forward. "I said, let...her...go." Right after Chase said that Smoky tightened his grip on my forearm. This won't be good.

"Okay settle down, settle down," Everest finally said standing between Smoky and Chase.

"What's your problem Everest?" Chase asked. "Are you on his side or something?"

"N-No," Everest denied. "I just don't want you two fighting. Ryder won't be happy either."

"Who's Ryder?" Smoky asked and then he understood. "Ohhh. Your owner. Righttt. I guess since you're a pet you wanna be a good doggy," Smoky said patting Chase's head. Chase let out a low growl. I bit Smoky's arm as hard as I could and he yelled in pain. I feel like I bit down too hard and too far. My mouth was filled with the taste of blood. I wanted to spit it out but I wasn't able to. He let me go and rubbed his hurt arm with the other. I spit out the blood in my mouth and rubbed my tongue with my paw. I saw the blood slowly start to gush out of his arm and he still screamed in pain.

"Let's go," I told Chase as we both ran off toward the Lookout to meet the others. I know for sure Smoky isn't happy and he will find a way to get me back for that. The person I'm worried about the most is Everest. Is she okay? What's gotten into her? Does she not know who Smoky is?

"Are you alright?" Chase asked as we got into the elevator.

"Yeah I'm fine," I lied. I still felt like a little blood was in my mouth. He looked down and saw my arm was red. He gently grabbed it and picked it up to get a closer look. He carefully examined it and saw Smoky got a little bit of fur off. Somehow. Chase looked back up at me and his face was soft.

"I'm sorry I didn't make it earlier," he apologized putting his head down. Does he think this is his fault?

"It's okay," I comforted. "It's not your fault."

"If I made it earlier he would have done this to you," he said pointing at my arm.

"But it's not your fault he did it."

Third POV
The elevator made it to the top after the "ding". The doors opened and the two pups got out of the elevator to meet up with the others.

"Skye, what happened?" Marshall asked looking at her arm.

"Smoky," Chase replied bitterly. The two sat in front of their bowls and started to eat. Skye drank some water to get rid of the blood that was still in her mouth. Even though Skye's arm wasn't in the best shape, she still walked normally, being used to the injuries.
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Everest's POV
I feel like I'm not thinking straight. Did I really just do that to Skye? I can't continue. I HAVE to back down but there is NO way he's gonna just let me off the hook like that without completely messin' with me. I don't know what to do now. Smoky is still rubbing the arm Skye bit. Blood continued to slowly flow out and he couldn't stop it.

"Are ya just gonna stand there?" He asked me as he signaled to his arm.

"Oh um...sorry," I said going up to him. "What do I do?"

"I dunno, maybe get me something to cover this up," he aggressively said. I ran off to the Lookout. I was not going to ask any of the pups for help. I feel like they already hate me. I found some bandages and ran back with them in my mouth. "Finally." I didn't say anything back. If I did, I wouldn't say anything nice. I slowly wrapped his arm and he did wince a little but I kept going. I finally finished and patted it.

"There."

"Thanks," he said observing it. Good as new. "To show you my appreciation," he said getting kinder. "I wanted t give you this." He pulled out a black collar. It was decorated with many red diamonds and had a couple of spikes.

"Oh," I said looking at it with a bad feeling. "I can't take this."

"Sure you can." He was starting to sound like me.

"But...uh...I already have a collar." I looked down showing him my black collar that had my pup tag attached to it.

"That's okay. Just take off your pup tag thingy and attach it to this new collar."

"N-No, I really like this collar."

"But this one is so much better," he said trying to convince me. I'm having a bad feeling about this. I guess if this collar is bad I could take it off. I don't think it's a good idea but he won't stop buggin'.

"Um...okay fine," I gave in. He smiled as I took my pup tag off of my collar. I took the collar off and put my pup tag on the new one.

Third POV
Everest slowly put it around her neck and then clipped one end to the other. Everest then stood up straight and blankly looked at Smoky. Her eyes turned red for a little and then went back to blue.

"Download complete," she said like a robot.

"Great," Smoky grinned. "Now let me make sure it was downloaded correctly. "Uh...let's see. What's my plan?"

"Destroy Chase. And get Skye back."

"Yes! Okay, and what about...? Who rules you?"

"You do."

"Should you ever reveal that you are with me?"

"No."

"And the last thing...should you take the collar off?"

"No. Never ever take it off."

"Excellent."